


sunset skies, lilac eyes

by asriellex



Category: RWBY
Genre: Abuse, Drinking, F/F, Smoking, Strong Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25563010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asriellex/pseuds/asriellex
Summary: Blake Belladonna's boyfriend, Adam Taurus, is into drag racing. After he loses the most recent race that she comes to see, she ends up crossing paths with the person who beat him: his rival Yang Xiao Long.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 8
Kudos: 131





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so a few months back a friend and i were gushing over some art made by the talented @/corvophobia on twitter and i was like "yo what if i wrote a bumbleby drag racing au" and they basically said "BET" so here we are lol. fair warning i don't really know how drag racing works?? i also haven't been to santa barbara in 3 years so I'm sorry if my depiction is inaccurate but i did my best :)
> 
> link to the art that inspired this: https://twitter.com/corvophobia/status/1256358809305600000?s=20
> 
> tw / abuse, smoking (weed), drinking, strong language

There was almost nothing Yang loved more than adrenaline. The rush it gives her. That’s probably why she loved drag racing so much, because every time she races she gets that feeling. And the anticipation of it all… sometimes she has to restrain herself from slamming the foot down on the pedal before someone yells “go.” She loves the soft rumble of a running car, the cheering people outside of her rolled-down window, revving the engine, and the ‘on your marks… get set…’

“Go!” The girl yelled, and just like that she was off. Luckily, Yang knew this track like the back of her hand and went full speed ahead, tires skidding when she reached the first turn. Quickly looking to her rearview mirror, her opponent Adam Taurus was quite a ways behind, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t catch up. He’s been a regular opponent of hers. So far he hasn’t won, and she was pretty confident he wasn’t going to win this time either.

The path was built around a mountain on the outskirts of Santa Barbara, which made for great views, but pretty unruly terrain. After years of wear and tear from all the driving, the dirt was uneven. There’s a “pothole” that has thrown people off balance (including Yang) plenty of times. Dips and bumps show up in unexpected places which new drivers aren’t prepared for, but Yang knows when they’re coming. Unfortunately, since Adam has also raced this track numerous times, he does too, and it doesn’t take him much longer to slowly come up beside her car. She can imagine him shooting her some shit-eating grin, but ignores the temptation to look and focuses on the road. After a few more turns, he’s still fairly close. If she could just get in front of him…

Yang takes a deep breath and flexes her fingers on the steering wheel. She knew that the next turn coming up would be the last one. Adam was on the outer part of the track, so when they hit the turn he faltered behind for a split second. Yang sharply turned the steering wheel to the right, cutting him off. At that point, there would be no way he could pass her without crashing.

Now came the easy part, cruising to the finish. Yang took one hand off the wheel and leaned back while she passed over the line, breaking to a stop with Adam showing up beside her seconds later. She felt amazing.

After stepping out of the car she was met with a cheering crowd. Some of the people she knew approached her, patting her on the back or giving her a high five. She looked over her shoulder to see Adam slamming his car door, causing her to smirk. He always was a sore loser. Walking around the front of his car, he approached a girl, someone that Yang didn’t recognize. Sure there were newcomers who came to watch from time to time, but this one was different. Adam usually came by himself, driving off not long after she kicked his ass, but he clearly knew this person. Yang tried to get a better look at her, only to realize that she was staring right back with piercing amber eyes. She had dark skin and short black hair that framed her face. The shorts she was wearing exposed her long, almost toned legs. Needless to say, the girl was gorgeous, and she was still staring back at her.

“Yang! Holy shit you did great!”

Yang’s head whipped back around as if she was trying to hide the fact that she had been staring at some mystery girl. She smiled when she saw her sister Ruby standing in front of her, a grin on her face. 

“Yeah yeah okay, you say that every time.”

“But you do great every time so…”

Yang laughed. “Okay fine, thank you Ruby. Now, how about we order in for dinner?”

“Hell yes!” Ruby immediately went to get into the car, while Yang took the opportunity to steal another glance at the girl.

Only said girl was now in the passenger seat of Adam’s car, and she watched as they drove off. 

Yang sighed, admittedly kind of disappointed that she didn’t get an opportunity to introduce herself. She could only hope that she'd show up again one day. 

For now, though, all Yang wanted was Chinese food.

—

Blake looked out the window of her boyfriend’s car. The sun had just started to set and the sky was painted with pinks, oranges, and hints of purple. One of her favorite things about California was the sunset, and when they finally got to their destination, she quickly decided that this was the best place to view it. Her boyfriend Adam was into drag racing, and this was one of the few times she had actually gone to watch him race. But the first thing she did when she stepped out of the car was stand at the traffic barrier at the edge of the cliff. The track was on a mountain of sorts just outside of where they lived in Santa Barbara, which gave her a great view of the sun setting over the city and its beach.

She felt a tap on her shoulder. “Babe, I’m about to start.”

Honestly, she could care less about him and his racing, she could stare at that view for hours, but she knew she was going to get shit for it if she didn’t pay attention, so she turned around and watched as he got into his car. Blake has no idea who he’s racing against, but whoever it is, she hopes that they kick his ass.

Cheers erupted around her as a girl walked in between the two cars. Engines started up as Blake leaned back against the railing.

“Everyone ready?” The girl called out, which resulted in louder cheering and the revving of engines.

“On your marks… get set…” she raised her arm into the air, and flung it back down as she said, “go!”

The two cars sped off, and before they disappeared she could already see that Adam’s opponent was _way ahead_ of him.

Now that he was gone she turned right back around. A warm yet soft breeze blew against her face. She always felt so at ease when he wasn’t with her. Even if she knew he would be back in a couple of minutes she took advantage of whatever time she had alone. Something about looking at the sunset made her want to change her life for the better, because it sure as hell wasn't going anywhere so long as she was with him. It’s like it’s saying that even though it might be far away, there’s something beautiful to look ahead for, and Adam would be the traffic railing restraining her from just reaching out and grabbing it. 

Another minute passed, and she heard the distant noises of cars growing louder and louder until both cars sped past the finish line. She smirked when she saw the other car finish before he did. Pushing herself off the railing, Blake walked up to the side of the road, where Adam slammed his car door shut and approached her. He swore under his breath and started talking to her. She paid attention to what he was saying in the beginning, until something behind him caught her eye. It was a girl, Blake presumed, with a head of long blonde, almost golden hair and surrounded by the crowd that had just been standing beside her moments ago. 

_Was that the other racer?_ Blake thought before the girl turned her head and caught her eye. That’s when the rest of Adam’s words drowned out, and all she could focus on was this girl. Her eyes were a beautiful lilac color unlike any she’s ever seen before, her tanned skin and blonde hair complimented them nicely. Not to mention her face in general was just… really pretty. In reality, she was more than just pretty, but after the numerous times Adam had scolded her for looking at other girls, she was convinced he could hear her thoughts. Unfortunately, that was all she was able to see before the girl quickly turned back around.

“Hey! Are you listening?” Adam said, anger laced his tone, and suddenly Blake was thrown back into her harsh reality.

“Yeah sorry, I just spaced out for a sec.”

He exhaled. “Whatever, just get in the car,” he replied before stomping off towards the driver’s seat. Blake reluctantly dragged herself to the passenger’s side, mentally preparing herself for the shitty mood he was going to be in for the rest of the night.

—

As she drove her car up the mountain, she begged her mind to focus on anything but him. She was definitely right about him being in a shitty mood. As soon as they got home he started drinking. Now that she’s been to a couple of his losing races, she can confirm that he gets pissed off and drinks whenever he loses. He drank all night, woke up, and started drinking again in the afternoon, causing him to pass out just before sunset. Blake had put up with him like this for so long, and for once she just needed to leave. She didn’t even care about the consequences that would probably come later. Initially, she didn’t know where she wanted to go, until she thought back to the place that had brought her so much comfort only a day earlier.

She had gotten there at just the right time, the sun was just barely starting to set on the horizon, and since apparently there were no races today, she could just sit in silence and watch the sunset.

Or so she thought.

Just as she was finally able to find some time to herself, a car drives up moments later. Sighing in disappointment, she convinced herself that anything was better than being alone with her drunk boyfriend.

Curiosity got the best of her when she heard a car door slam. She glanced back, eyes widening slightly when she realized that the person looked oddly familiar. After turning all the way around, familiar lilac eyes stared back at her. Seeing the long blonde head of hair made her certain that this was the girl from yesterday.

And from the look on her face it was clear that she recognized her too.

A moment went by, neither of them saying anything, until the blonde finally broke the silence.

“Weird question, but were you here yesterday?”

Blake nodded.

The girl hesitated, “And did I happen to look at you specifically at some point?”

Blake nodded again, but slower.

“Okay cool, ‘cause it would’ve been very awkward if you had said no just then.” A small smile pulled at the corner of the girl’s lips while she shoved her hands into the pockets of her bomber jacket.

Blake managed a small smile in return. It was definitely an awkward question, but it’s not like it wasn’t an awkward situation either.

The blonde walked towards the barrier and leaned against it, looking out towards the horizon.

Now that Blake was finally able to look at her up close, she discerned that she was definitely _way_ more than just pretty. The way the soft breeze blew in her hair, and the way the sunset reflected in her eyes and lit up her freckled face…

“So… what’s your name?” She turned to face her, which made Blake realize that she had been staring.

“Blake.”

“Well Blake, it’s nice to meet you. Name’s Yang.”

Somehow the name ‘Yang’ fit her perfectly. It sounded as vibrant as her looks, yet tough enough to fit a drag racer.

“Nice to meet you too, Yang,” she said, but quickly became unsure of what to say next, because Yang had already turned back to look at the sunset after smiling at her. Usually she wasn’t one to want to keep a conversation, but this was different. For once actually wanted to get to know her.

“So umm…” Blake started, quickly trying to think of a question to keep the conversation going, “what are you doing here? There doesn’t seem to be any races today.”

“Probably the same reason you are. The view from up here is the best, especially during sunset.”

Aside from the fact that she wanted to get away from Adam, Yang was right, she did come to see the sunset, and she was right about the view too.

“Okay, my turn to ask you something,” Yang said as she repositioned herself so that her whole body faced Blake. “What made you decide to come yesterday? You’re one of the first newcomers I’ve seen in a while.”

Blake exhaled, “I didn’t really ‘decide,’ my boyfriend insisted I come watch him race since the entire time we’ve dated I had only been to a few of his other races-”

“Wait wait… you’re _dating_ Adam?” Yang looked at her with a mix of shock and confusion. “Like, I could tell that you knew him or whatever since he walked up to you after the race but… you’re _dating_ him?”

“...Yes?”

The blonde shook her head. “Sorry, I just never expected someone like him to have a girlfriend.” Then her voice became almost panicky. “No offense though! I’m sure he’s a great boyfriend.”

“None taken, seriously.”

Blake almost regretted answering like that when Yang began to eye her curiously, as if her response prompted her into prying further. Thankfully her expression fell and she moved on. She almost never gave any indication to anyone about how awful her relationship was out of fear that they would either make a big deal out of it or Adam would find out and scold her. Something about the current situation though made her feel more daring than usual, what with her sneaking away and ending up talking with his opponent. 

_I don’t want to even think about what he might do if he knew I was here with her,_ she thought.

She doubted that Yang and Adam even spoke to each other anyway, so it’s not like she would tell him about this.

“Sorry you had to see him lose though, I’m sure he was trying to impress you,” Yang said.

“Yeah probably. I just realized though, that whenever he won he'd brag about beating whoever he was up against but… he never mentioned you. I take it you’re a pretty good racer then?”

When Yang laughed, Blake swore she felt butterflies in her stomach. “You could say that. I’ve been doing this for five years pretty much, started a little while after I got my license. So far this year I haven’t lost a single race.”

Blake’s eyes widened a bit when she said that. Considering it was already July, no doubt that was impressive.

“And since I can tell you want a definite answer, your boyfriend has never beaten me in a race before. He _is_ a pretty good racer though, I’ll give him that.”

She nodded, unsurprised. “Don’t let him know that though, the power will go to his head.”

They both laughed, but the conversation was stuck again, and Blake didn’t want it to end. That’s when Yang’s bomber jacket caught her eye. it was a dark brown color, with a rose and a bumblebee patch on the left arm.

“I like your jacket, and the little patches too.”

“Oh thanks! It was my mom’s. The rose patch was hers but I added the bumblebee patch later for my car.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Your car?”

“Yup! I call her Bumblebee. Had her for a few years now.”

Glancing back at the car, she could see why. Though subtle, the car was all black with two yellow lines along the sides. 

“ _She_ definitely looks your style,” Blake replied.

“She better be. I did the stripes myself, and there’s quite a few bumper stickers on the back that I’ve just been collecting over the years.”

“Oh really?”

Yang nodded, and Blake immediately made her way over to the backside of Yang’s car. She wasn’t lying, there were quite a few bumper stickers. There was one of the California flag next to a gay pride symbol (good to know), a tie-dye peace sign, a yellow dragon, a couple of roses, and a handful of assorted bumblebees along with a few others.

“This is making me wanna buy a bumper sticker. I don’t have any.” Blake commented, thinking of her bland and boring old car, nothing special about it. 

Yang opened her mouth for a second before closing it again, looking like she had remembered something. “Actually…” she started walking around towards the driver’s seat, Blake followed, and saw her begin to rummage through the compartment in between the two front seats. Moments later she pulls out a bumblebee bumper sticker and hands it to Blake.

“My sister got me that one a while ago but turns out I already had it. Completely forgot about it until just now so… it’s yours.”

Blake looked down at the little cartoon bumblebee sticker in her hands before looking back up at Yang. Small gestures like there were something she would always cherish. Adam hadn’t done anything like this for her in a long time and back when he had, it wasn’t very often.

She smiled, “I’ll go put it on my car right now then.” Just as she turned her heel though, she felt a hand grab her upper arm, which quickly retracted.

“S-sorry! but since I’m already near the driver’s seat… do you want a ride? Around the track, I mean.” Yang rubbed the back of her neck.

In the entire time she’s been dating Adam, a drag racer, not once has he offered to do something like that with her, and yet she was about to do it within minutes of meeting Yang. 

“I’d love one.”

A wide smile lit up Yang’s face. “Cool! Just hop in on the other side.”

Blake put the sticker in her back pocket and made her way to the passenger, sitting down just as Yang started the car. After they both closed their respective doors and put on seat belts, the blonde turned to her.

“Don’t expect me to go slow, by the way.”

Blake smirked, “I’m not expecting anything less.”

“Good.”

Yang put her foot to the pedal and Blake felt her back slam onto the seat as they took off. The first turn was not far off, and Blake let out a small yelp as she was practically whipped to the side. Her heart beat faster and faster as she looked out her window to see shapes and objects blur past. She tried not to think about how if she stuck her head out she’d probably get decapitated or something. Turning to Yang, she saw the girl smile before biting her lip, reassuring her that the blonde knew what she was doing. A sudden dip in the road followed, and she swore she was lifted off the seat for a split second. Yang sped up when the road began to even out, and finished with another jarring turn before coming to a quick stop back where they had started. With the sound of the engine now gone, Blake could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

“So, did you have fun?” Yang said so nonchalantly.

Despite not expecting anything that came out of that experience, she actually _did_ have fun. She felt exhilarated, and she can see why Yang likes doing it so much.

“Yeah actually, I did.”

“Wanna go again?”

“No!” Blake said a little too loud. “I mean, while I did have fun I think I’ve had my fill for one day.”

Yang shrugged. “Suit yourself.” 

They both got out of the car. Blake noticed that the sun had already dipped below the horizon, the sky now purple and blue as the last of the warmer colors faded away. 

“Aw damn, we missed the best part.” She reapproached the railing, seeing the lights come on in the city below. Yang stood beside her.

“Well I guess the good thing about sunsets are that you get to see them again tomorrow.” The blonde looked at her, lilac eyes somehow so bright as the rest of the world became dark. They smiled at each other.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

They both turned back to the horizon, silently watching the sky become speckled with stars, which rarely seems to happen anymore.

Blake’s phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket, and looked at it to see a message from Adam and her best friend Ilia. Knowing not to open Adam’s text first from previous experience, she immediately opened Ilia’s instead.

 **Ilia:** dude adam just asked me asking if i knew where u were cus ur not answering ur phone. what do u want me to tell him?

A quiet “shit” accidentally escaped her lips, which concerned Yang. She had hoped he would be passed out for much longer.

“Everything okay?”

“Y-yeah just… give me a sec.” Blake hesitated, thinking. 

She’s insanely lucky to have a friend like Ilia. Blake turns off her location almost every time she leaves and the girl has covered for her god knows how many times. And today shouldn’t feel any different, but even though she felt daring before, the mere thought of him finding out that she was with his rival was pretty nerve-wracking. 

**Blake:** tell him that my phone died, i’m helping u with something for work and that i’ll be back in like an hour and a half

A minute later, Ilia responded saying she sent the text and he responded with an “okay”. Blake exhaled in relief, and put her phone back in her pocket.

“Sorry, everything’s good I promise.

Yang looked skeptical at first, but ultimately shrugged. “Alright.”

Blake then realized that she had given herself another hour and a half away from Adam, another hour and a half with Yang, and suddenly remembered the lighter and weed joint she got from Ilia in her back pocket which she had planned to smoke at some point watching the sunset.

“Hey, I don’t know how much longer you’re planning on staying but…” She took the blunt out of her pocket and offered it to Yang. At first, she almost regretted asking, wondering if Yang was against smoking altogether, but her suspicions waned when the girl smirked.

“You don’t seem like the smoking type,” The blonde said as she took it from her.

Blake shrugged, lighting it for her. “Did all throughout college pretty much, and didn’t really stop after. It helps with things.”

She watched as Yang raised the joint to her lips, the tip of it burning bright as she inhaled. It was long and drawn out, like she wanted that feeling to come faster. A good amount of smoke rose into the air as she exhaled, before turning to Blake and handing it to her.

“Do those things include your relationship?”

Blake was mid-inhale as she asked her that. Thankfully she didn’t choke, but it was a bit of a surprise considering Yang had avoided pressing further about the topic the entire time they’ve been together. Maybe it was because Blake had been dropping hints that her relationship was not the greatest... or maybe it was just the weed. Either way, Yang was expecting an answer, an answer that Blake would have been hesitant to give had it been anyone else. But Blake trusted her, because so far she is the opposite of everything that Adam embodies, and that is good enough for her. So now, standing here with Yang on a cliff, smoking weed, she doesn’t feel hesitant to tell her at least a little bit of what was going on.

“Yes, it does.”

“Do you… _want_ to talk about it?”

Blake took another drag, “Not really, considering I just met you and all. I can tell you that he’s an asshole though.”

“That I already figured.” Yang smiled almost sadly as she took back the joint. “Why don’t you leave him?”

Blake wasn’t sure if she could tell Yang the real reason why she hasn’t. That she was scared about what he might do to her if she tried to break things off. Scared that if she tried to run away, he could track her down. 

She was just scared.

“It’s not that simple with him, but I’ll figure something out.” She mostly said that to herself.

“Hmm, alright.” It didn’t sound like she bought it, but didn’t press further.

They stopped talking for a bit, silently passing the joint back and forth. The atmosphere wasn’t awkward thankfully, given the way the conversation went. Blake thanked the weed for that. At some point, Yang sat down, and Blake joined her.

“Do you have a job anywhere?” Yang asked suddenly.

“Barista at a coffee shop.”

“Really? I’ll have to come visit you sometime.”

“Yeah, sure.”

A pause. “How about tomorrow?”

Blake was a bit surprised. Yang actually _wanted_ to see her again.

”Sure.”

“Cool, text me where it is and when you get off work… wait, I guess you need my number for that. Hold on...” Yang reached into her pocket to produce a pen. “Gimme your arm.”

A bit confused by the request, Blake slowly put her forearm out in front of Yang, to which the blonde clicked the pen and began writing her number on her skin.

“There.”

Blake pulled her arm back and examined the combination of numbers, smiling. “You know you could have just asked for my phone right?”

“Yeah I could have, but the old fashion way is more fun.”

“Okay, sure, and do you just carry a pen with you everywhere?”

“Hey, it helps to have one on you, clearly for situations like this.”

Blake couldn’t help but giggle. She also couldn’t help but notice how close she and Yang were. If she had shifted even the slightest amount, she could feel the exposed skin on her thigh brush against Yang’s own. Because she was too focused on that she didn’t notice that the girl was looking at her until she turned her head.

“You have a really nice laugh… you know that?”

Blake felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “Thank you.”

They didn’t stop looking at each other though. Admittedly, Blake’s eyes flitted to her lips once or twice.

“You’re also just… really pretty.” Yang added.

Now she just found what she was saying to be ridiculous. Blake smirked and playfully pushed her away. “Stop it, you’re just high.”

“Not high enough yet.”

Her smirk dropped. If she truly was still thinking straight, Blake wasn’t sure how to respond, and Yang picked up on that. The blonde let out a nervous laugh before putting some space between them.

“It’s getting pretty late, um… I think I’m gonna head home.”

She then stood up, Blake sort of confused at where this conversation ended, and a bit sad that Yang decided to leave.

“Oh, alright.” She slowly stood to join her.

“Just don’t forget to text me details for tomorrow, okay?”

Blake couldn’t exactly be sad if she was going to see Yang again tomorrow, so she smiled. “I will. Be safe.”

Yang winked and walked off towards her car. Before she knew it, the engine had started and Yang was driving away, down the mountain and out of sight.

Deciding to stay a while longer to let her high wear off, Blake just kept replaying the evening’s events in her head. It was one of, if not the best nights she’s had in a while. She felt genuinely happy. That’s not to say that hanging out with people like Ilia didn’t make her happy, just not the same kind of happy that she was tonight. The time she had spent with Yang today made her feel something. It made her feel alive, that was what it was. A feeling she had almost never experienced once throughout her entire relationship with Adam and yet this girl was able to make her feel something within the very short time they’ve known each other. 

Her mind began to spiral, though. Maybe she was too trusting of the girl. Considering how she spends most of her days with her shitty boyfriend, Blake wouldn’t put it past herself to open up to the first person to show her an ounce of kindness and respect without knowing anything about them.

After all, she wouldn’t be in a relationship with Adam had she gotten to know him a little more. Had she found out that he put on a whole persona just to draw her in, and then slowly revealed his true self before Blake realized it was too late. 

Though she supposed that was what tomorrow would be for, getting to know her. And _god_ how she hoped her suspicions were wrong.

When she eventually got home, she suddenly remembered the bumblebee sticker in her pocket. After putting it on the back of her car, she stood back and smiled. A bit more color in her life was all she needed, and she had Yang to thank for it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Blake:** Here’s the location. i get off at 6:30.

 **Yang:** cool! see u tmr :)

That conversation was from last night, and it’s now 6:25 p.m.

Blake leaned over the counter, no customers to currently busy herself with, eagerly waiting to see Yang walk through that door. She'd be lying if she said she hadn’t been waiting for this all day, hoping that today would be just as good as yesterday.

She also just wanted to see Yang again.

Luckily she got to see her only seconds later, perking up as she saw the blonde walk through the door and straight to the counter.

“Hey cutie,” Yang leaned forward on the counter, Blake rolled her eyes at her teasing, “mind if I get something before you get off work?”

“Not at all,” she smirked.

“In that case, I’ll take whatever the hell that is.”

She pointed to an item on the menu behind her. It was one of those limited-time specialty drinks with a ridiculous name. Though considering the amount of sugar it contained, she’s not surprised that Yang picked it.

Blake quickly made the drink as to not further delay her time with Yang.

“You better like it.” She handed the drink to Yang. “It’s one minute past the end of my shift,” Blake said somewhat jokingly.

“Aw, you worked overtime for me?” Yang over-exaggerated her tone. “I’m flattered.” 

Blake rolled her eyes again while the blonde took a sip, satisfied.

“If that’s all you need I’ll be right back,” she said, seeing Yang nod quickly before turning around and taking off her apron. After putting that away and letting her coworkers know she was leaving, Blake joined Yang on the other side of the counter.

“So what did you want to do?” she asked.

The girl was mid-sip, so it took her a moment to reply. “You know, I was thinking we could just sit here for a while.”

Blake raised her eyebrow slightly, not expecting her to suggest something so mellow. Not that she was complaining though. Sure she wanted to have a good time, but she was sure Yang had ways to make any sort of sit-down conversation more fun.

“I just… I wanna get to know you more,” Yang continued, and Blake reminded herself that she wanted the same thing. “Besides I just got this drink and I don’t feel like walking around with it, y’know?”

“Yeah, I get that,” she smiled softly before leading the other girl to a table in the back corner. Blake always felt that those tables had the most privacy.

She feared that they were going to sit down in awkward silence, both of them unsure how to start the conversation, but Yang started almost immediately, like she had come prepared.

“So, have you always lived here?”

“No, actually, I grew up in Hawaii. Moved here during high school because of my dad’s job.”

“Woah,” Yang’s eyes widened slightly, “that’s a big move.”

“Yeah, but I like it here too,” she replied, even if she missed her home a lot more often these days. “What about you?”

“California, born and raised.”

She smiled. Yang definitely seemed like the California type.

From then on they kept telling each other about themselves. Blake told her about her parents, how she was still doing online school to become a writer, how she met Adam through her friend Ilia, how she and Ilia came to realize that he wasn’t who they thought he was. 

She didn’t know what to expect from Yang, but it definitely wasn’t what she ended up telling her.

Yang told her about how her birth mother abandoned her and her father just after she was born. How her dad met a woman named Summer, whom she considered her “real mom”, through drag racing. When her dad and Summer had her half-sister Ruby, who she seemed to care for more than anything, and who currently lived with her practically full-time while she attended college. How she and Ruby grew up going to drag races, watching their parents race. How Summer died in a car crash. When her dad gave her Summer’s jacket. When she first got Bumblebee. The first time she raced… She just wondered how someone as optimistic as Yang could go through so much. Part of her wondered if she was faking it, but if she knew anything about faking happiness, Yang definitely wasn’t. She almost envied her.

“I’m… so sorry, Yang,” she said for probably the tenth time.

“You don’t have to keep apologizing, it’s not like any of this was your fault,” she took another sip of her drink, which was nearing its end, “And it’s been a long time since then. I’m okay, I promise.”

“Okay,” Blake responded almost skeptically, even though Yang sounded genuine. 

Yang then finished her drink. Licking her lips, she seemed to hesitate before speaking. “Wanna go for another ride?”

“Definitely.”

“Cool. Hope you don’t mind changing things up though.”

 _Not at all,_ Blake said to herself as Yang threw out her cup and they exited the shop together. Not too far away was Bumblebee, the early signs of a sunset reflecting off of its polished surfaces. Yang clearly took good care of it.

They hopped into their respective sides and the blonde started the car. Before she stepped on the gas she turned to Blake.

“Mind if I put on some music?”

“Go ahead.”

Blake expected some heavy metal or rock to come blasting out of the speakers, but instead she heard the opening symphony of violins to one of her favorite songs. Her heart lifted. She smiled.

_Placing a smile at the perfect event  
Gracing your skin with the side of my hand_

She looked wistfully out the window as the city around her blurred past. She also heard Yang start humming along softly beside her. 

_If I ever leave I could learn to miss you  
But sentimental boy is my nom de plume_

Blake sang along quietly, but not quietly enough that it prompted Yang to go from humming to singing along with her.

_Let me save you, hold this rope_

Both of their voices had raised in volume, and then the chorus came.

_I may never sleep tonight  
As long as you’re still burning bright_

Neither of them were very good singers, and luckily the music was still louder than both of them, but she didn’t care, she was having fun.

_If I could trade mistakes for sheep  
Count me away before you sleep_

Blake looked over at Yang who looked back at her for a moment or two. She was mesmerized.

I’ll stay awake ‘til I trade my mistakes   
Or they fade away

They both exhaled after the chorus ended, and began laughing blissfully.

That was also when Blake noticed the covered sunroof above her, and began to think.

“Hey wait, do you mind opening this? I want to try something.”

Yang obliged, probably expecting what she was trying to do, and watched as Blake unbuckled her seatbelt and moved to kneel on the compartment in between the driver’s and passenger’s seat.

Slowly, she raised herself off her haunches and through the sunroof, taking in everything around her, especially the setting sun ahead of them.

They had been stopped at a red light so Blake was startled when Yang hit the gas again, but once she found her balance she felt the smile continue to grow on her face. She extended her arms out to her sides, welcoming the warm California air that blew up against her face and through her short black hair as Yang drove. The chorus of the song started playing again, and in that moment Blake felt carefree. She almost started crying. 

She yelled out into the open air and laughed. Below her she heard Yang laughing too. Everything about this moment felt so _right_ , she wishes she could live in forever. No thoughts of Adam, just her and the stunning, outgoing girl driving the car.

_Yang…_

Blake lowered herself back into the car when they reached the next red light. Yang shot her a look as if asking _how did it feel?_

“I fucking loved that,” Blake said.

“Sure sounded like it.”

They smiled at each other, but didn’t have anything further to say. The silence was comfortable though, as the music continued to play in the background. 

Turns out Yang didn’t just want to drive around the city, she drove along the beach specifically. The blue water reflected the colors of the sunset, and it seemed to shimmer as they drove by. Blake felt at ease. 

“Do you like the beach?” Yang asked.

“I grew up in Hawaii, remember? What do you think?”

Yang hummed in reply, Blake didn’t even have to be looking at her to know she was smirking, and just like that she pulled into one of the parking spots at the beach.

The car and the music stopped, and Yang hopped out to make her way to her trunk. Blake followed a moment later.

“Here, catch.” Yang tossed her a towel which she almost dropped.

“Did you plan this? I don’t have a bathing suit on.”

Yang slammed her trunk door and looked at Blake. “No I didn’t, actually. I just thought we could chill on the sand for a while since we were driving by. Is that cool?”

Blake smiled. “Of course.”

They walked to the beach together in silence, but also in extremely close proximity. Their arms or hands brushed more than once while they looked for a spot to sit down. She may or may not have also moved a specific way a few times so that they would touch. 

_What am I doing?_ she thought.

They found a spot in the middle of the beach, laying their towels down side by side. The sun had already set and the sky began to darken. Though there weren’t many stars, Blake felt contempt looking up at the sky with Yang at her side.

“How are Hawaii’s beaches compared to this?” Yang asked.

“This doesn’t even come close to Hawaii’s beaches.”

“I don’t doubt it. I’ve always wanted to see Hawaii.”

 _Maybe I could show you one day,_ Blake thought to herself again. She blinked, trying to shake the thought from her head. They barely knew each other, why was she thinking about something like that? Thinking about Yang being in her future?

Not like she was opposed to that idea, though.

“I think you’d like it.” 

They paused for a moment.

“I remember my mom… Summer, telling me about how she went when she was in college, about all the cool stuff she saw there,” Yang said. “I’ve wanted to go ever since. I even have one of those little travel jars that I throw spare change into,” she laughed softly, “but more often than not I take the change back out to buy groceries or something.”

Blake wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so she stayed silent, they both did. But Blake wondered if she could take this opportunity to ask about her mom. From what she could tell Yang cared about the woman a _lot_ and had a suspicion that her death affected her more than she let on. If Blake felt so safe around this girl, she wondered if Yang felt the same way about her. She wanted Yang to trust her.

“Do you miss her?”

“Hmm?”

“Summer, your mom, do you miss her?”

Yang sighed, “All the time.” She hesitated before speaking again. “There’s some days where I can’t stop thinking about her, wondering what it would be like if she was still alive. I get pretty upset. But it really was a long time ago, and I shouldn’t let it be a burden now.”

Blake frowned. “You’re allowed to be sad about it though. She was important to you.”

“I know, Ruby and dad keep telling me that and I keep telling myself that too, but I also know that she wouldn’t have wanted me to be sad for so long. She would have wanted me to live my life to the fullest y’know? Because that’s what she did.”

Blake made a sound of acknowledgment. “Is that why you’re so happy?”

“I guess,” the blonde said. “Originally I just wanted to be the positive energy that she was for other people. I mean, Ruby was barely a toddler when she died. I wanted to be as positive as possible for her as she grew up. Same thing went for my dad at the time. In the beginning I think I faked being happy, but then time passed. Shit got easier and I got more and more used to living life without her. Then I thought about what she would have wanted for me, and I didn’t have to fake it anymore. Now it’s just who I am.”

It took a second for Blake to form a response. “That’s great, but just so long as you remember that you can be upset about it sometimes.” She paused, debating on whether or not she should continue her thought, and did anyway. “I’m always here for you if you want to talk about it, or you just need a distraction.”

“Thank you Blake. It means a lot.”

“Anytime.”

They stopped talking for a bit. Both girls looked up at the sky as they listened to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. 

“You know…” Blake began, almost wanting to change her initial statement, but decided against it, “Adam never really does stuff like this with me.”

“What like… never took you out on a date?”

“Oh no he has, but not like this.” Blake blushed. Did Yang think this was a date? She knew it was a reach considering they were talking about her relationship with Adam, but she could hope. “We only ever go to clubs or bars. Not that I don’t like those places, but after a while it’s just the same thing over and over again.”

“Well, you’ve never been clubbing with me.”

Blake laughed. “Hey, if it was with you, I’d gladly go.”

“How about tomorrow?”

Blake then turned to look at Yang, who looked back and smiled. 

“Okay.”

“Cool.”

They were still for a moment, and once again Blake became hyper-aware of how close their hands were. She didn’t want to hold her hand just yet, thinking that it was currently a barrier she shouldn’t cross.

_Maybe I could just…_

Her pinky inched out towards the blonde’s hand, and she almost drew it back when they touched.

But then Yang caught on and hooked her pinky around Blake’s. Her heart skipped a beat.

“Thank you again… for letting me talk about my mom.

“Of course,” Blake replied. “And thank you too, for tonight.”

_Thank you for everything._

“You’re welcome.”

—

As promised, Yang took her out to one of her favorite clubs the next day, a place called Junior’s which Adam had never taken her to before.

The place was _packed_. Dance music filled the entire building. Practically as soon as they stepped inside, Yang grabbed her hands and dragged her to the middle of the dance floor. The blonde seemed to let herself go, like she left all her worries at the door and just wanted to have fun. That made Blake all the more comfortable around her.

They alternated between the bar and the dance floor pretty much the entire night, and each time they went back to the floor Blake noticed that they danced closer and closer. It got to a point where despite the crowd of people around them, it felt like she and Yang were the only people in the room.

That was until Adam texted her.

 **Adam:** Can you come home soon? You’ve gone out every night this week. I miss you.

Fucking liar.

She had only spent three nights away from Adam, and apparently that was three nights too many. She knew he didn’t miss her, he just didn’t want her living her life without him. 

Blake hadn’t opened the message yet, she just viewed it on her home screen, so it shouldn’t show him that she had read it. Even still, she knew she would have to respond, or else he would just keep texting.

After telling Yang that Adam had texted her and she needed to step away for a second, the blonde became concerned and led her by the hand outside of the club.

“I have to tell him that I will.”

“But you don’t want to leave, do you?”

Yang leaned up against the brick wall of the building while Blake stared at the phone in her hands.

“No, not at all I just…” she sighed. “I don’t know what he’ll do if I tell him otherwise.”

Yang raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I know he’s going to give me shit for going out these past few nights regardless but if I tell him anything other than what he wants to hear I don’t-” Blake cut herself off. She shouldn’t insinuate anything. The last thing she wanted to do was make a big deal out of this.

“Blake…” Yang pushed herself off the wall and approached her, clearly concerned.

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry-”

“Blake, look at me.” The girl’s hands cupped her face, as Blake slowly lifted her gaze to meet her’s. She melted into her touch. “So long as you’re comfortable, here’s what I think you should do. You go home right now, give him what he wants so you can avoid what he might do, but anytime you can get a moment away from him, pack up as much of your shit as you possibly can. I’ll pick you up tomorrow and you can come stay with me. Is that okay?”

She had to process what she had been asked just then. Did Yang really ask her if she wanted to come live with her? Did she just willingly offer to take her away from the man that has been abusing her for so long? That alone made her begin to cry, as she nodded furiously.

Yang pulled her into a quick hug, which she gladly returned.

Before she knew it, she was in an Uber on her way home, although the word “home,” she hoped, was about to have a whole new meaning come tomorrow.

Blake began to think about that decision a lot more when she left though. Admittedly they were both pretty drunk (which they expected to happen because they both opted to take an Uber to the club instead of driving there themselves). Going to live with someone, especially someone she had just come to know only three days prior, was a _big_ deal, and the fact that it was so spontaneous… she wondered if her answer would have been any different — hell, if Yang would have even _asked_ her that had they been sober. 

She wondered if she would regret it when she woke up tomorrow, or maybe Yang would regret it and she would wake up to a text telling her that they shouldn’t go through with it.

But then the next morning came. Blake still wanted to leave, and the only text from Yang that she woke up to was her asking for Blake’s address, also that they had neglected to think about Blake’s car in their hasty decision last night. Luckily Ilia worked at a mechanic shop, which was a perfect excuse. Once Blake filled her friend in on the plan, she said she would drive her car over to Ilia’s after work and leave it there, taking an Uber back home. All she would have to do is tell Adam she dropped it off at the shop for “repairs”.

 **Yang:** okay, i’ll be there at 5

Blake smiled at the message, and began packing her things.

—

She shoved the last few toiletries she needed into her duffel bag. Yang would be there any minute. As she closed the mirror cabinet she took a moment to look at the girl staring back at her. A girl who has lived in fear for far too long. A girl whose life was about to change for the better in a matter of minutes. And she smiled.

Just as she slung her bag over her shoulder, yelling erupted from outside.

“Fucking bitch! Where are you?”

Suddenly her heart was in her stomach. There were no windows in the bathroom so she couldn’t escape now. For one last time, she would have to face Adam.

Shaking, she opened the bathroom door, and walked to the bedroom. There he stood, tall and intimidating. She froze when she saw her phone in his hand, and on the screen was a text from Yang, “almost there” it read. He had found out.

Even though she had always felt small around him, in that moment she felt smaller than she had ever been.

“Fucking whore! How long have you been texting her?” He threw the phone in her direction. She yelped and shielded herself with her arms, luckily the phone missed her and landed on the ground behind her. She heard it shatter against the floor.

Panic set in when he started advancing towards her, anger and rage emanating from every part of him. She ran out of the bedroom, the air in her lungs leaving faster than she could take it in.

“Answer me!” He screamed as she ran down the hallway and turned towards the front door. An empty beer bottle suddenly smashed against the wall next to her head, while she frantically pulled the door open. She slammed it behind her in hopes of slowing him down, but it didn’t do much. He only seemed to come closer.

As soon as she stepped outside though, an all too familiar car was waiting there. A feeling of hope bubbled in her chest, forgetting for a moment that Adam was behind her.

She saw Yang’s panicked expression when she noticed him, and reached across the car to open the door for Blake so all she had to do was get inside, but Adam had caught up to her.

As she got into the car, he grabbed onto one of her legs, and without thinking much of it, used her free leg to kick him square in the chest. All she could catch a glimpse of was him stumbling backward and falling onto the ground before she slammed the passenger door and Yang floored it.

Blake was still a bit too overwhelmed by everything that had just happened in that short amount of time that she didn’t speak at all on the way to Yang’s. Then she started to cry, not because she was sad though, she just couldn’t believe that she was finally away from him. She was free.

And she was with the girl who had made her feel what it was like to be truly happy again.

Her place wasn’t too far. When she pulled into the driveway Blake looked at the small house, her _home._

“Hey, are you alright?”

Blake turned her head to see Yang looking at her. She didn’t really know how to put her feelings into words, so almost without a second thought, Blake pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. Pulling back almost as fast as the kiss was, she put her hand over her lips for a second, ready to apologize, before Yang came forward and pressed her lips to her own. 

She melted into the kiss, moving her hands to Yang’s face. It was short but sweet, it said what she wanted to convey to the girl. That was enough.

When they pulled apart, they immediately embraced, Blake burying her face into Yang’s neck.

“Thank you… thank you so much. For everything.”

The blonde only held her closer. Everything in that moment felt so right. She was more than ready to start this new chapter of life with Yang.

—

Whenever Blake goes to races (which is a lot more often now), she stands on the other side of the track, cheering on her girlfriend. 

“On your marks… get set... go!”

Once again Yang was already _way_ ahead of her opponent. 

Blake leaned back against the rocky wall of the mountain, staring out at the same sunset that had brought her and Yang together 4 months prior. In that time she had met her sister, Ruby, who was currently standing on the side of the road in eager anticipation. Luckily she didn’t have to wait much longer. Yang’s car came speeding past the finish, her opponent falling quite far behind. Without warning, Ruby grabbed Blake’s hand and pulled her to the front of the small crowd currently gathering around Yang’s car. When she stepped out, her face lit up. 

“There’s my two favorite people!” With Blake and Ruby on either side of her, she wrapped a strong arm around their shoulders, making a point to plant a kiss on Blake’s cheek.

“You say that like you didn’t just see us three minutes ago,” Blake said somewhat sarcastically.

“Well that’s three minutes too many babe.” Yang kissed her on the cheek again.

“You did amazing though, as per usual.”

“Fuck yeah you did,” Ruby interjected, to which Yang ruffled her sister’s hair. “Jeez, can you stop doing that? I’m almost twenty-one, not twelve.”

“No,” Yang smirked, “but thank you both.”

The other racer came up to shake Yang’s hand, and after that, the three girls piled into Bumblebee and headed home. They heated up leftovers from the night before and settled in the small living area to watch a movie, until Ruby’s phone went off. Her eyes widened when she saw who had called.

“Oh shit it’s Weiss,” Ruby pushed herself off of the floor. “Sorry guys but I’m gonna have to skip out on movie night. I’ll be in my room.”

Yang groaned. “Just tell her you like her already.”

Ruby flipped her off as she disappeared into the hallway, causing Blake to laugh.

“Guess it’s just you and me now.”

“Good,” Yang smirked, pulling her closer on the couch to kiss her. 

The whole atmosphere felt so domestic to Blake, and she smiled against the blonde’s lips.

“What are you smiling about?” Yang asked with a smile of her own.

“I’m just really happy here… with you,” she paused, “ _You_ make me happy.”

Yang’s expression became softer, lilac eyes staring back at her like she was the only person in the world. “You make me happy too.”

This time Blake closed the distance between them. Their food had long since gone cold, and the movie played on in front of them, but all they could focus on was each other. They’re happy, they’re together, and that’s all that matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyy i hope you enjoyed it!!


End file.
